Fromage fort is the ultimate way of using leftover cheese. Jacques Pépin's father used to combine pieces of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese together with his mother's leek broth, some white wine and crushed garlic. These ingredients marinated in a cold cellar for a week to a week-and-a-half (he liked it really strong). Now Pépin's wife, Gloria, makes a milder version in a food processor that takes only seconds. It is delicious with crackers or melted onto toasts. It also freezes well.

The Provencal dish known as brandade de morue is a great example of how to elevate modest ingredients like salt cod and potatoes--in this case, by whipping them with milk, olive oil and garlic until luxuriously silky. Jacques Pépin's extra step of serving the dish au gratin (browned, with cheese on top) makes it that much more delicious.

Capons are very large, neutered roosters that often have an intense chicken flavor. In this recipe, Jacques Pépin roasts the bird simply, then makes a mushroom-Armagnac sauce enriched with cream, vermouth and the pan juices from the capon.

This is the quintessential beef stew. Jacques Pépin's mother served it at her restaurant, Le Pelican, where she made it with tougher cuts of meat. Jacques likes the flatiron—a long, narrow cut that's extremely lean but becomes tender and stays moist. He doesn't use stock, demiglace or even water in his stew, relying on robust red wine for the deep-flavored sauce.

Because a single duck rarely has enough meat to feed more than two or three people, Jacques Pépin prepares two ducks side by side when serving this classic dish to guests. And because he's roasting whole ducks, he cooks them until they're well done, which results in the crispiest skin and best flavor.

While restaurants traditionally make the buttery, orange-flavored sauce for this famous dessert tableside from start to finish, Pépin finds it easier to prepare largely in advance when entertaining. He flambes the liquor in front of his dinner guests and pours it over the platter of crepes while still flaming.

This souffle features preserved fruits and kirsch (cherry brandy). "The base for a sweet souffle is traditionally pastry cream," says Jacques Pépin. He substitutes bechamel here—it's "basically the same thing, but easier."